Latest news with #Jean-Jacques
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Time of India
Watch: Locals fight armed men trying to kidnap Crypto boss's pregnant daughter and her child in Paris
Watch: Locals fight armed men trying to kidnap Crypto boss's pregnant daughter and her child in Paris The pregnant daughter of a top French cryptocurrency executive and her two-year-old child were the targets of a violent attempted kidnapping in Paris on Tuesday morning, a brazen daylight attack foiled by brave passers-by and caught on camera. According to CNN, three masked assailants leapt out of a van branded with the Chronopost delivery logo on Rue Pache in Paris's 11th district and tried to force the 34-year-old woman and her toddler into the vehicle. Her partner, 30, was assaulted as he tried to shield them. In the video, he is heard shouting, 'Help! She's pregnant!' BFMTV reported that the woman, who is five months pregnant, managed to disarm one of the attackers, grabbing what turned out to be a fake gun and throwing it onto the street. She and her partner sustained light injuries and were treated at a hospital, while the child was treated for teargas exposure, as per Le Parisien. The attackers fled after locals, alarmed by the victims' screams, rushed to help. One man threw a fire extinguisher at the van, captured in footage. Witness Jean-Jacques, 61, was quoted by Daily Mail as saying, 'I saw hooded and armed men running away... I turned and saw a man with a bloody head lying on the ground. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around in 2025 Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo There was blood everywhere.' The van was later found abandoned nearby. Chronopost denied ownership, saying in a statement on X that the vehicle was likely a fake branded replica. 'Everything suggests at this stage that we are dealing with an impersonation of our brand', the statement added. The Paris prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into 'attempted abduction, aggravated violence, and criminal association' by an organised gang. As of now, no arrests have been made. The woman is the daughter of the CEO and co-founder of French crypto platform Paymium, which, in a statement cited by CNN, said it was 'extremely saddened' by the attack and called on French authorities to 'reinforce protection for collaborators in the cryptocurrency ecosystem.' French interior minister Bruno Retailleau will meet with crypto entrepreneurs to discuss the spate of recent attacks. The Paris Anti-Banditism Brigade (BRB) is leading the probe. Investigators are working on the theory that the family's ties to the crypto world may have made them targets. This incident comes amid a wave of violence targeting figures in France's growing crypto sector. On May 1, the father of a crypto entrepreneur was kidnapped and held for ransom. He was rescued two days later, but not before kidnappers severed his finger, according to Daily Mail. Seven suspects were arrested; two were later cleared. In January, CNN reported that David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, was kidnapped with his wife and tortured. A €10 million ransom was partially paid in cryptocurrency, but most of it was traced and seized. The trend isn't limited to France. In the US, crypto millionaires were also targeted, including a March case where thieves raided their home. In Canada, self-proclaimed 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski was kidnapped in 2022 over an alleged Ponzi scheme. These incidents have also raised broader concerns about safety in Paris. The attempted abduction unfolded just hours before Kim Kardashian testified at a nearby court in the high-profile trial of her 2016 armed robbery case, in which millions of dollars in jewellery were stolen.
Business Mayor
13-05-2025
- Business Mayor
Crypto boss's daughter and her toddler targeted by gang in attempted kidnapping in Paris
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the terrifying moment a crypto currency executive's daughter and her family fell victim to an attempted abduction in central Paris. The unnamed woman, 34, her husband and her two-year-old child were attacked by three masked men who tried to bundle her into a delivery van at 8.20am today. In video filmed from a nearby flat, she can be heard screaming 'let me go, let me go' One of the witnesses said they also heard her husband shouting 'help, she's pregnant'. At one point, the woman managed to grab hold of one of her attacker's guns and threw it down the street where a passerby picked it up. Another man emerged from a nearby café with a fire extinguisher that he threw at the van as it drove off. Jean-Jacques, 61, saw what happened. He said: 'I heard screaming so I went outside. I saw hooded and armed men running away and I turned my head and saw a man with a bloody head, he was lying on the ground. There was blood everywhere.' A specialist police team has been assigned to look into the attempted kidnapping – the third of its kind against people linked to the cryptocurrency industry in France this year. The three men tried to grab the woman on the street (Picture: @Valeurs) The father of the child helped fight off the kidnappers (Picture: @Valeurs) On May 1, a crypto entrepreneur's father had his finger chopped off during a 48-hour ordeal in a building in Paris after being bundled into a delivery van. They wanted between £4 million and £6 million. Footage of the amputation was sent to his son along with a demand for £4-£6 million. He was saved by police before five people were arrested. In January, David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, and his wife were kidnapped from their home in the Cher region, around 150 miles south of Paris. One of his fingers was chopped off by his kidnappers who wanted an £8.4 million ransom. A passerby threw a fire extinguisher at the van as it drove away (Picture: @Valeurs) Meanwhile on May 1, the father of a crypto entrepreneur was abducted and forced into a delivery van in broad daylight. The kidnappers, who also cut off one of their victim's fingers, demanded a ransom of €5-7million (£4.2-£5.9million). The victim was rescued in a police raid the next day, and five suspects have been arrested. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: French film star Gérard Depardieu found guilty of sexual assault Arrow MORE: Truth behind President Macron 'cocaine' video revealed Arrow MORE: European leaders arriving in Kyiv told to 'shove these peace plans' by Russia
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Crypto CEO's daughter, 34, and child, 2, attacked by knife gang in Paris
The latest alleged attack on wealthy cryptocurrency families in Paris saw a botched kidnapping attempt on a 34-year-old woman and her two-year-old in broad daylight Horror footage shows the moment a crypto CEO's daughter and her young child were attacked by an armed gang in Paris. The alleged kidnappers are said to have attempted to snatch the 34-year-old woman - the daughter of unnamed cryptocurrency millionaire - and her two-year-old child in broad daylight. French media said the abduction was only stopped by the efforts of the child's father, who shielded her and took several punches, and suffered what appeared to be a stab wound to his upper back. An investigating source said: "They arrived in a Chronopost [delivery] van and attempted to take the mother away from her child. Her partner managed to fight the three kidnappers off"' The source said the unnamed woman's father was the chief executive officer of a crypto firm. It is feared that the gang may have been trying to take the woman hostage, before sending a ransom demand to her father. Videos posted on social media shows three men dressed in black and wearing balaclavas launching the attack. They first of all hit the partner, as the woman screams "Leave me alone!" Footage filmed from nearby buildings show the woman being attacked while grabbing a handgun from a gunman, before throwing it away from him. In turn, her partner shouted: "Leave her alone, she's pregnant!". A witness described as a retired doctor called Jean-Jacques told the Parisien news outlet: "I heard screaming, so I went outside. I saw hooded, armed men running away, and I turned my head and saw a man with a bloody head, lying on the ground. There was blood everywhere, so I dealt with the wound." Bystanders also came to help the victims, and the foiled kidnappers hurriedly sped away in their van. One of them is seen throwing what looks like a fire extinguisher at the vehicle as it drives away. Paris's elite anti-bandit bridgade, the BRB, is leading the investigation into the incident, as the hunt for the assailants continues. It marks only the latest attack on cryptocurrency investors and their families in France, sparking a probe among police into a possible organised crime connection. Last week, police rescued the dad of a cryptocurrency millionaire who had been kidnapped and held for ransom in a suburb of Paris. In a striking similarity to the latest incident, police sources quoted by Le Figaro newspaper said the man had been targeted in broad daylight in central Paris. He was mobbed by a group of men, and forced into a delivery van by four masked men in balaclavas. While he was being kept hostage, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of between $5.6million (£4.2million) and $7million (£5.2million) from his son. The victim, said to be in his 50s, was reported to be missing a finger when he was eventually located in a property in Palaiseau, located south of Paris. Four suspects have been arrested.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Haitians face record hunger as gang violence grips country in throes of economic crisis
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — More than half of Haiti's population is expected to experience severe hunger through June, and another 8,400 people living in makeshift shelters are projected to starve, according to a new report released this week. Relentless gang violence and an ongoing economic collapse is to blame, according to an analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a multi-partner U.N. initiative that analyzes food insecurity and malnutrition around the world. It noted that the number of those facing severe hunger increased by more than 300,000 people to some 5.7 million since last year. Among those going hungry is Jackie Jean-Jacques, his wife and their three sons, who lost their home to gang violence and have lived in a crowded makeshift shelter for more than a year. 'There are days where the kids have to live on sugar water and bread,' he said. 'It hurts me to see that.' Jean-Jacques, 52, used to work as a bus driver but could no longer afford to rent the bus or buy gasoline. Besides, he worries that one day gangs would open fire on his public transportation vehicle like they have on others. Meanwhile, his wife sells small items like plastic cups and lunch boxes on the street. 'This is not enough to feed us,' he said. Dwindling aid While food and potable water were commonly distributed at shelters, aid began to dwindle after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in late February decided to terminate 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts. 'Since March 2025, funding has no longer been guaranteed,' according to the report issued Monday. It said that from August 2024 to February 2025, nearly 977,000 Haitians received humanitarian food aid monthly, although rations have been reduced by up to half. 'The assistance you get is not enough,' Jean-Jacques said. UNICEF said Thursday that an estimated 2.85 million children — one quarter of Haiti's entire child population — 'are facing consistently high levels of food insecurity.' The agency warned that it faces a 70% funding shortfall. It said it has helped more than 4,600 children this year with severe acute malnutrition, which represents only 4% of the estimated 129,000 children expected to need life-saving treatment this year. Meanwhile, the U.N.'s World Food Program said it urgently needs $53.7 million to 'continue its life-saving operations in Haiti over the next six months." 'Right now, we're fighting to just hold the line on hunger,' Wanja Kaaria, WFP's country director in Haiti, said in a statement Thursday. 'I can barely feed them' In 2014, only 2% of Haiti's population was food insecure, with gang violence largely under control and most people enjoying the successful spring harvests from the previous year, according to a previous report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Hunger at that time affected mostly those in poor rural areas. But in 2016, Hurricane Matthew battered Haiti as a Category 4 storm, destroying crops and livelihoods. By 2018, more than 386,000 Haitians were experiencing severe hunger, a number that has since grown to an estimated 5.7 million. 'This is very alarming,' said Martin Dickler, Haiti director for the nonprofit CARE. 'It really is an extremely serious food crisis, and Haiti is one of the worst in the world.' The growing hunger coincides with a surge in the price of goods, with inflation reaching more than 30% in recent months. Experts also blame gang violence, with gunmen controlling the main roads leading in and out of the capital, Port-au-Prince, disrupting the transportation of goods from the countryside. Jean Rose-Bertha, a single, 40-year-old mother of two boys, said they have lived almost a year at a makeshift shelter after gangs chased them from their home. 'I can barely feed them. I sometimes do things I'm not supposed to do,' she said, explaining that she prostitutes herself on occasion. Dickler said women and girls have been disproportionately affected by the crisis, facing greater obstacles in accessing both food and livelihoods.. 'They are left to manage the daily family survival,' he said. 'In food crises, women often eat least and last.' ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
The Hill
17-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Haitians face record hunger as gang violence grips country in throes of economic crisis
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — More than half of Haiti's population is expected to experience severe hunger through June, and another 8,400 people living in makeshift shelters are projected to starve, according to a new report released this week. Relentless gang violence and an ongoing economic collapse is to blame, according to an analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a multi-partner U.N. initiative that analyzes food insecurity and malnutrition around the world. It noted that the number of those facing severe hunger increased by more than 300,000 people to some 5.7 million since last year. Among those going hungry is Jackie Jean-Jacques, his wife and their three sons, who lost their home to gang violence and have lived in a crowded makeshift shelter for more than a year. 'There are days where the kids have to live on sugar water and bread,' he said. 'It hurts me to see that.' Jean-Jacques, 52, used to work as a bus driver but could no longer afford to rent the bus or buy gasoline. Besides, he worries that one day gangs would open fire on his public transportation vehicle like they have on others. Meanwhile, his wife sells small items like plastic cups and lunch boxes on the street. 'This is not enough to feed us,' he said. Dwindling aid While food and potable water were commonly distributed at shelters, aid began to dwindle after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in late February decided to terminate 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts. 'Since March 2025, funding has no longer been guaranteed,' according to the report issued Monday. It said that from August 2024 to February 2025, nearly 977,000 Haitians received humanitarian food aid monthly, although rations have been reduced by up to half. 'The assistance you get is not enough,' Jean-Jacques said. UNICEF said Thursday that an estimated 2.85 million children — one quarter of Haiti's entire child population — 'are facing consistently high levels of food insecurity.' The agency warned that it faces a 70% funding shortfall. It said it has helped more than 4,600 children this year with severe acute malnutrition, which represents only 4% of the estimated 129,000 children expected to need life-saving treatment this year. Meanwhile, the U.N.'s World Food Program said it urgently needs $53.7 million to 'continue its life-saving operations in Haiti over the next six months.' 'Right now, we're fighting to just hold the line on hunger,' Wanja Kaaria, WFP's country director in Haiti, said in a statement Thursday. 'I can barely feed them' In 2014, only 2% of Haiti's population was food insecure, with gang violence largely under control and most people enjoying the successful spring harvests from the previous year, according to a previous report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Hunger at that time affected mostly those in poor rural areas. But in 2016, Hurricane Matthew battered Haiti as a Category 4 storm, destroying crops and livelihoods. By 2018, more than 386,000 Haitians were experiencing severe hunger, a number that has since grown to an estimated 5.7 million. 'This is very alarming,' said Martin Dickler, Haiti director for the nonprofit CARE. 'It really is an extremely serious food crisis, and Haiti is one of the worst in the world.' The growing hunger coincides with a surge in the price of goods, with inflation reaching more than 30% in recent months. Experts also blame gang violence, with gunmen controlling the main roads leading in and out of the capital, Port-au-Prince, disrupting the transportation of goods from the countryside. Jean Rose-Bertha, a single, 40-year-old mother of two boys, said they have lived almost a year at a makeshift shelter after gangs chased them from their home. 'I can barely feed them. I sometimes do things I'm not supposed to do,' she said, explaining that she prostitutes herself on occasion. Dickler said women and girls have been disproportionately affected by the crisis, facing greater obstacles in accessing both food and livelihoods.. 'They are left to manage the daily family survival,' he said. 'In food crises, women often eat least and last.'
